SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Denard Robinson was tongue-tied.
Rich Rodriguez was untied.
Moments after they put the finishing touches on a wild 28-24 victory over Notre Dame, the quarterback and coach could barely contain their joy Saturday night.

Robinson, making his second start at quarterback for the Michigan football team, had no explanation for his second straight record-breaking performance, in which he accounted for 502 yards of offense.

“I’m speechless right now,” he said. “I really don’t know what to say right now. That was amazing.”

Rodriguez, the coach hired from West Virginia nearly three years ago to bring the spread offense to Ann Arbor, didn’t have much to say either, but certainly expressed his gratitude.

Michigan's Roy Roundtree, top, and Notre Dame's Ethan Johnson dive for the ball after it was fumbled by Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson during first-quarter action.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

â€¨“I’ve got my shoes untied in honor of Denard,” he said, kicking his right sneaker out from behind a podium to offer evidence of his tribute to a quarterback nicknamed “Shoelace.”

This is what Rodriguez was hired to do. This is what Robinson was born to do, befuddle opponents by running the spread offense to near perfection.

Together, they have much-maligned Michigan off to a 2-0 start in a season in which the Wolverines hope to end an unprecedented bowl drought and restore respect to the winningest program in college football history.

Robinson did his part, playing like a Heisman Trophy hopeful Saturday. He kept his composure on a game-winning drive that culminated with his 2-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds remaining.

“I was just praying on the sideline,” defensive end Craig Roh said, of watching the victory unfold.

One week after setting the school’s single-game rushing record for a quarterback against UConn, the sophomore from Deerfield Beach, Fla. Robinson upstaged himself in his encore performance.

In the air, Robinson threw for 244 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he ran for a Big Ten single-game quarterback record of 258 yards and two touchdowns.

The total included an 87-yard touchdown run, the second-longest in Notre Dame Stadium history, which gave Michigan a 21-7 lead shortly before halftime.

Michigan's Cameron Gordon, left, has his helmet blasted off by Notre Dame running back Armando Allen, who doled out a little punishment on a fourth quarter run.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

The Fighting Irish (1-1) chipped at their 14-point deficit, and captured a 24-21 lead with 3:41 to play on a 95-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph, the second-longest in Notre Dame history.

The Irish had attempted the play once before - Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist had overthrown Rudolph - and liked their chances of running it again down the middle of the field.

“It’s one of our go-to plays, something we’re very comfortable with,” Rudolph said. “We had said we’re going to come back to it, and Dayne told me to just be ready.”

But Robinson saved his best for an epic final drive.

In the huddle, he told the Wolverines, “It’s time to put it in, time to put the game away. We let them stick around too long, and now it’s time for us to put it away.”

Calm and composed, he pushed the Wolverines from their own 28-yard line quickly to the Notre Dame 35, hitting Darryl Stonum and Michael Shaw on curl routes.

On a fourth-and-one play that could have essentially clinched a Notre Dame win, Robinson ran his most important yard of the afternoon, fighting linebackers Manti Te’o and Darius Fleming for the inches needed to keep Michigan’s hopes alive.

Reborn at the 34-yard line, Robinson hit Shaw on another curl route that Shaw seemingly broke for a 30-yard gain. But officials ruled that Shaw had stepped out of bounds at the 22-yard line.

“I wasn’t out of bounds,” he said. “I looked at my hands when I put it down, and saw my foot. When I got up, all my teammates were saying the cleat mark stops at the hash on the sideline.”

It wouldn’t be the first time officials missed a call - video evidence showed Notre Dame’s TJ Jones fumbled at the 1-yard line on what was ruled a 53-yard touchdown pass early in the second half.

“Man, he gave me a wink before the play,” Robinson said. “He winked at me. I knew I could go to him. I knew I could count on him. And it was time.”

Robinson recognized Notre Dame’s cover zero defense, made the read, and threw a perfect pass to Roundtree on a crossing route that took the ball to the 2-yard line.

On the next play, Robinson cemented what he had started, plunging in on a 2-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left.

Notre Dame frantically drove down the field in the final seconds, and the outcome was in doubt until Crist overthrew the end zone on the game’s final play.

When it was over, Michigan had its first signature road win of the Rodriguez era, a 2-0 record through two bellwether games and perhaps a postseason award prospect conducting its spread offense.

“Let’s put a little caution in here,” Rodriguez said. “This is his second game as a starter. There’ s going to be bumps in the road. But if he keeps making progress like this, it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556, via email at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.

Comments

nathan

Thu, Sep 16, 2010 : 5:49 p.m.

ok, WHAT IF refs gave the ball back to michigan after the ND reciever dropped it before crossing the goal line...thats minus 7 points and who knows we might have scored.What if's dont make wins any team after a loss asks them selves what if i did this or that better we could have won.Bottom line a win is a win.

dk

Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 7:07 p.m.

"You make the excuse that his backups never played a game, yet he himself had only played TWO GAMES until yesterday. Wow, keep the excuses flowing" Sparky, calling Crist a star is inaccurate, but the rational given is not an excuse, it's a fact. Crist was in the 8 drives which resulted in 24pts. Back-ups were in for 8 drives which resulted in 0 pts and 2 awful turnovers. Call it an excuse or not, ND wins that game if Crist plays the entire time.

nathan

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 6:30 p.m.

If you talk to anyone that was at the game the refs where horrible.Im not saying the calss against us where bogus they where all legit.But notre Dame was holding us all day.Watch the game again and you will see jerseys being pulled all over.One play Mouton has arms around his waste.Anyways this win is bigger than what people think we have only won in notre dame 5 times in 33 years.Brady didnt do it and Henne couldnt either.Winning on the road through all the penalties is huge.One thing that stood out was in the second half when the offense was sputtering was there was a point where we held notre dame to 3 points on 5 possesions.Not saying the defense is awesome at all but they showed some heart and kept us in the game wich is so far better than last year.

Danny

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 6:17 p.m.

While Robinson played in outer space the offensive line did a great job opening the little seams that the flash went through! The young man has improved 100% since last year. Denard had a combination of warp drive, cloaking device(he was past the line before they saw him)and photon torpedoes for passes. If we can only get the defense tuned up a notch. Some of the better teams we have yet to play will exploit our corners and backers to death. We can only hope for some magic on defense. The last touchdown from ND was a coaching error? Don't let any receivers get behind you! On the other hand the fact that ND scored so quickly gave the flash time to lead the team to a final score. I love it when they are rewarded for their hard work with a win. GO BLUE

aareader

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 5:33 p.m.

One game at a time. A win is a win and things are looking pretty great. Keep improving defense.... don't let big play makers get behind you and this win would have been even more impressive. Go Blue!

Blueman Rick

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 3:56 p.m.

The overall goal of every defense is to prevent the other team from scoring. How would it be possible to coach the defense to only "prevent the other team from outscoring our offense"? The D has to be focused on every play to shut the opposing offense down.

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 3:10 p.m.

It's true we have a great defensive line. Did we get a lot of pressure on the quarterback with our 3 man rush? Of course not. Who would? The difference is we were able to stop the run and that is important. In a Rich Rod team, the defense is not there to hold an opponent scoreless. They are there to prevent the other team from outscoring our offense. That is it. Does Rich Rod neglect the defensive side of the ball? I think he does. Is that necessarily misguided? I don't think it is. In the past decade, there has been a college football metagame shift. No longer does defense win championships. Just look at the final score of the past 10 national championship games. Offense is more important than defense right now. There is too much speed in this game to rely on your defense to win the game for you.

nathan

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.

for everyone that says the d is horrible it is better than last year.Allen only had 89 yards.The defense also had a short memory they gave up a few plays but made some when we needed it with turn overs or a takle for a loss.We need help in the safety department but its also a freshman back there.Just saying our defense has improved in the run game especially from last year.

Lemansblue

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1:47 p.m.

We gave up 535 yards to a team that their starting qb was out the first half? That is terrible. Where is the D? Coach Harbaugh shut out UCLA. It would be great if we had a coach that could coach defense too. Coach Harbaugh would be great here.

Robbie Webb.

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:22 p.m.

Lemansblue, first of all, they played UCLA...who is not good. We played Uconn (A good veteran team) in the first game and held them to TEN! We made mistakes on defense both games, but we also held Notre Dame to 24, they were projected by alot to win and score more. We made stops, we had interceptions, and yes, we gave up big plays. But that was ALL in the secondary. Woolfolk out clearly hurts, but they're getting better and will continue to do so.

Lemansblue

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:16 p.m.

No defense in this game. Coach Harbaugh's team played great D that is what win championships.

misti3k

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 11:33 a.m.

Wow. Just surreal. I actually thought ND's defense played well with a good scheme for the most part, and Robinson still lit them up for 502 yards. Great win and everybody said all the right things in the post-game presser, especially Robinson and Shaw. I'm torn emotionally right now, though. Part of me is ecstatic and feeling rewarded for my faith in Rodriguez, and half of me is scared to death that this is fool's gold like last year's game. Evidence that it is: Brian Kelly channeled his inner Charlie Weis with some horrid in-game decisions. Flea-flicker with a backup QB, going for the TD at the end of the half with a 3rd string QB, and the whole punt-j/k-no really sequence were all very strange. Also, we really don't know how good ND's defense is. I thought they would look slow, but they had a great scheme and were almost always in good position to make plays. Evidence that it isn't: UConn is better than WMU last year and I think ND is better than they were last year, plus the game was at ND, an extremely difficult place to win for Michigan. This year's team also shows what Rodriguez's offense really is. Last year was a lot of Forcier scrambling and improvising, which can create some magic and win a game or two, but you can't make a living with it. This year everything seems structured and definitive. Plus Robinson is an absolute monster. The defense, while still exploited for a few big plays, is clearly better than last year. Rogers and Floyd held Michael Floyd in check for nearly the entire game. Tackling from the LBs was better and Mouton looked like he knew where to be on each play. Want to see more of a pass rush to take pressure off the back 5, though. Enjoying the win with tempered enthusiasm. Let's use these next three games to get the RBs more involved and get Gardner and Forcier prepped for the possibility that they will be needed. Keep your heads level and take care of business and get to 5-0 for Sparty. Go Blue!

Chad Williams

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 11:21 a.m.

If this is the pay off for a 3-9 and a 5-7 season im taking it. I was impressed with tate last year after 5 games but this is another animal of a player. He is jus much faster than any one player on the field which makes him more dangerous than tate. This version of the spread fits better for robinsons running better than it did tate. People forget its called the Spread Option, so its almost like a GT and Navy triple option which the QB carries the ball 20 times in games as well. But with Umass next week and Bowling Green the week after that will give us two weeks to find a running back that can take the heat off of robinson. This offense is a double threat we jusy need a RB to make us a triple threat. Defense played well at times but mental breakdowns by Cam Gordon gave up two big TDs but he will learn and im sure it wont happen again. For all the doubters that have been on here now is your time to hop on the bandwagon. For those who still doubt are being down right haters that tate isnt puttin up records in back to back games.

truebluefan

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 11:08 a.m.

3 and out -- Funny how this works. Rich Rod just seems to always find just the right QB to run his system. He gets so lucky. Did you know that Florida didn't recruit DRob as a QB? Probably because DRob had dreadful passing statistics in HS. Rich Rod knew he would be a player at QB, recruited him hard, developed him and now he is one of the best QB's in the nation as a true sophomore. Hmmm, sounds a little like his development of Pat White. Rich Rod creates his own luck. You choose to ignore this fact.

Blueman Rick

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 10:51 a.m.

Have to disagree with ThoseWhoStayUofM. Your deduction that RR played Dev primarily because he might be fired is faulty. "The fact is, when a guy's back is against a wall, he is going to do whatever it takes to win." RR is paid to coach and develop the character of student athletes who represent my great Alma Mater. It can never be about "doing whatever it takes to win". I don't ever want U of M to be like U of Miami and certainly don't want RR to be like JJ. My hope is that the team continues to improve and that RR has success. Period. That's my bias.

heartbreakM

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.

Welll, after last year's awesome victory over ND (when everybody was singing Tate's glory and praising him as the second coming), I cautioned that while the victory was great and exciting, we'll know more about it after the season, and whether it was a bellweather game or just a blip. I'll repeat the same this year, but what a game that was!!

Lemansblue

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 10:30 a.m.

3, Stanford looked great very well coached team. Coach Harbaugh would be great here. Hate this offense...one man team. I have never seen Mi fans get so excited about beating 2 unranked teams. Reality check...RR 3 wins 13 losses against the Big Ten.

Sparky79

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 10:30 a.m.

"It also helps that ND's star player was out for most of the game with an eye injury and his replacements had never played in a college game before." ND's star player?! Crist? He played ONE GAME in 2009 and, until yesterday, ONE GAME in 2010, yet he's Notre Dame's "star player"?! You make the excuse that his backups never played a game, yet he himself had only played TWO GAMES until yesterday. Wow, keep the excuses flowing. Now, don't get me wrong. Crist is older and more mature than the other two QBs and has the *potential* to be a very good QB of the future. He was a five star recruit coming out of high school. But to call him Notre Dame's "star player" when you got guys like Floyd, Rudolph, and Allen, and complain about his backups lack of experience when he himself had only played two games? Yeah...that's stretching it. But this also shows you why RichRod has repeatedly said he likes to have two or three QBs he can win with. We went through this last year when Tate was hurt or playing poorly and Robinson obviously wasn't ready. The Irish went through that yesterday. The difference for me is that despite Crist being out for two quarters, the Irish still have more depth and experience on both sides of the ball than Michigan. Heck, all you recruiting service lovers, go look at the rankings for ND's past four or five classes, especially the upper classmen who were on the field. They had a lot of four- and five-star recruits. Armando Allen (high 4 star), Michael Floyd (5 star), Kyle Rudolph (5 star), defensive Manti Te'o (5 star) and the list goes on and on. I'm not surprised they hung around in the game and made a comeback. Even with Crist out, they have a lot of talent on their team. Michigan, on the other hand, still lacks a lot of that. There's no standout RB, no big play WR, no proven field goal kicker, and their defense (especially the secondary) is young and inexperienced and still has walk-ons starting and on the two-deep. It's going to be another year or two to get that up to par and get kids developed and truly ready to play. But the future continues to look good!

richagain

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 10:18 a.m.

So much for "gimmicky" offense It's pretty sad when they know it's coming and still can't stop it So much for trolls. Bye bye Just a trail of dust ( behind shoelace )

Robbie Webb.

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:59 a.m.

3 and Out, why are you all hyped on Jim Harbaugh? He is wrong for Michigan and WONT BE AT MICHIGAN unless Stanford plays Michigan at Michigan. Woohoo, they beat UCLA...who is bad. Uconn is better than them and we held them to 10. Keep digging yourself in a deeper hole, dude.

michboy40

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:57 a.m.

A win against the domers in South Bend! you can't take that away from me, EVER! I'm sure Rothstein and Holtz are looking in the mirror trying to figure out what happened! LOL, keep it up Homers for the Domers!

Dave66

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.

It also helps that ND's star player was out for most of the game with an eye injury and his replacements had never played in a college game before. Might as well give yourselves high fives for beating up a high school team. Even with the replacements, ND almost pulled it off. Have some perspective. It's a long road from a marginal victory over a damaged team and a bowl game. Judging from all the comments last year about "moral victories," I think that it is safe to say ND got the moral victory here. :)

spartyisyourlilsister

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:46 a.m.

I love that the Rich Rod haters have now went from praying for Michigan losses to praying that Denard gets hurt to ruin Rich Rods season! Their desperation is getting more and more laughable!!

clarklaker

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:26 a.m.

great win. we need a running back to step up.go blue

NoSUVforMe

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:14 a.m.

3 and Out, So, if a player is great, coaches simply stand back and watch them be great (get out of the way). But, if a player (and team) doesn't have talent, it is the coach's fault? You can't have it both ways..., and be reasonably objective.

discgolfgeek

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 7:42 a.m.

Haters, can't you even take 1 day off? Yes, the team has major flaws and as is, will struggle against the elite Big Ten teams. But these guys are very well-conditioned, play hard on every down, and are a credit to the Michigan uniform. I see improvement in many players from their last year's performance which is all we can ask of these young men who are trying as hard as they can. Let's enjoy this great victory and incredible performance by Denard Robinson instead of spewing all this doom &amp; gloom. Give Denard Robinson and the coaching staff the credit &amp; kudos they deserve for biggest improvement I have ever seen in a quarterback from 1 season to the next.

drtmkemnitz

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 7:37 a.m.

I have been impressed by the coaching of this team. Recruiting DRob was well done when no one else would tell him that he would have a shot at qb. The physical training builds bodies, and Michigan has a team that seems to be in good shape. The system works with the players who are coming in. I have been watching Michigan football for 60 years now, and there have been a lot of downs since winning the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1950, and a lot of ups. There are downs with this coach--the contract dispute with UWV, the NCAA violations, the loss of guys like the current Arkansas qb, the truly horrible record of the past two years. And there are ups, including the Mealor experience and now two victories over ND. Above all we have a system, national recruiting, some excellent athletes, physical training, practice facilities, and the possibility of returning to the greatness of the tradition in yet another century. I, for one, am willing to be patient and expect better things as the years go by and more defensive players come to join the offensive talent we have.

15crown00

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 7:10 a.m.

well arrogant ones u prevailed.season still has 10 games.we'll see where u r in mid November AFTER OSU whips u big time.

SonnyDog09

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 6:33 a.m.

The offense is better than I expected them to be. The defense is as bad as I expected them to be. The defensive secondary does not look like they understand how to cover receivers. They also need to work on their tackling skills. They try to knock the ball carrier down instead of wrapping them up. Don't they practice tackling anymore? There is a serious lack of talent and skill on the defensive side of the ball that will only become more evident once they start playing conference games. The question is whether the offense can score more points than the porous defense will allow? The kicker is horrible. They may need to bring in someone from the girl's soccer team to kick field goals. Don't get me wrong. They are off to a good start. But I keep hearing the lyrics to an old Sinatra song in the back of my head. "Riding high in April. Shot down in May."

3 And Out

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 4:16 a.m.

Rivals agrees with 3AndOut: Honestly, Michigan really doesn't seem to have much of an offense. The plays called were ordinary: read options, quarterback keepers, draws. But the guy running the plays was extraordinary. It was a brand of football usually reserved for the backyard, recess and the front lawns of fraternities: Just give the ball to the fastest and most athletic person -- and stand back and watch him run. Robinson far and away was the fastest and most athletic person on the field. You don't so much coach a guy like Robinson. You just try to stay out of his way and not screw him up. What more is there to say? If/when a team figures out D Rob... our September Rich Rod offense is dead in the water. The defense already is, unless a back up QB is in there. Lady luck is a good thing in September, but she rarely shows her face in November. Not having a real offense scares the heck out of me for Michigan's future. We need to have "Just the Right Guy" in there for it to work... and that is scary, scary, scary. Dont even get me started on the defense...phew.

3 And Out

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 3:37 a.m.

To all of the Rich Rod koolaid drinkers: This team without D Rob is terrible and you know it. From Espn: Somehow, the Wolverines are going to have to find Robinson some help over the next few weeks. Their running backs rushed 13 times for 30 yards, their special teams were dreadful (averaging 37.5 yards on punts and missing two field goal attempts) and their leaky defense gave up 535 yards. That states the current situation very very well. Hey, Im glad we won...but it doesnt change the fact that Rich Rodriguez is the wrong man to lead our program. It is FULL of holes and being dragged two 2 wins by a great athlete playing playground football. Enjoy it while it lasts...but dont criticize me for pointing out the obvious. Opposing QBs are averaging 11 yds per attempt vs. us and its only a matter of time before that, our terrible tackling our terrible special teams and one dimensional (truly) offense catch up to us. Peach and Go Blue. You heard it here first.

3 And Out

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 3:36 a.m.

To all of the Rich Rod koolaid drinkers: This team without D Rob is terrible and you know it. From Espn: Somehow, the Wolverines are going to have to find Robinson some help over the next few weeks. Their running backs rushed 13 times for 30 yards, their special teams were dreadful (averaging 37.5 yards on punts and missing two field goal attempts) and their leaky defense gave up 535 yards. That states the current situation very very well. Hey, Im glad we won...but it doesnt change the fact that Rich Rodriguez is the wrong man to lead our program. It is FULL of holes and being dragged two 2 wins by a great athlete playing playground football. Enjoy it while it lasts...but dont criticize me for pointing out the obvious. Opposing QBs are averaging 11 yds per attempt vs. us and its only a matter of time before that, our terrible tackling our terrible special teams and one dimensional (truly) offense catch up to us. Peach and Go Blue. You heard it here first.

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1:21 a.m.

"RR's decision [to play Devin Gardner] appears short sighted, doesn't it?" ~Blueman Rick That's a correct assessment. However, Rich Rod's prospects of remaining head coach at Michigan also appear short sited don't they? Maybe if people, 3 and out I hope your listening, didn't sensationalise everything regarding Rich Rod's future, he might have chosen to redshirt DG. The fact is, when a guy's back is against a wall, he is going to do whatever it takes to win. Would you worry about next year, or three years from now, if you were thought to likely be fired at years end? This isn't complex physics or brain surgery. It's simple logic. You claim to be skilled at "simple deduction" but you certainly missed the mark on that one. Try thinking outside of your own bias and be objective.

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1:13 a.m.

"One man show....lol" ~3 and out Again with the ignorant comments. It's like you have no sense of logic OR history. This is a moot point and I will explain why. 1) Michigan isn't a one man show. they have a great offensive line with one of the best lineman in the country (Schilling), fast wide receivers in Hemmingway (who hasn't played yet), Odams, Roundtree, and Stonum, 2 proven tailbacks in Shaw and Vincent Smith, and a great QB in Denard Robinson. This offense is not a one man show. If teams didn't respect our tailbacks or our wide-outs, Denard couldn't do what he does. It's indisputable. 2) It's a moot point because there are plenty of "one-man shows" that won National Championships or were contenders for it. Think about Ron Dane, Tim Tebow, and even Charles Woodson (who played on both sides of the ball). Lloyd Carr recruited and cultivated the talent of Charles Woodson. Rich Rod recruited and cultivated the talent of Denard Robinson (sophomore) and will get MUCH BETTER with time. Your double standard against Rich Rod is just as irrational as your garden variety racist bigot. It's absolutely absurd.

dale

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1:06 a.m.

UM football headed in the right direction. I like the focus and you can tell that practice does indeed pay off. Denard never seemed rattled. He will continue to run 15-25 times a game, that's what an option QB does, he understands the system and has good game management skills. Defense is still questionable, but okay. Gardner will pick up this scheme well and become a good backup/ starter for next year. Forcier should stick around for injuries or maybe he could learn to kick FG's.

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1 a.m.

"Stanford crushing UCLA soon to be 35-0... defense... strong running game...structure...wow JH has it going on there at a very difficult school to recruit for" Yeah... I really enjoyed that temper tantrum he threw on the field. The one where he was rolling around on the ground in front of the refs... like... literally on the ground yelling. And against such a prestigious football program at UCLA to boot! Wow... that sure is an accomplishment. Congrats Stanford, for winning in a conference full of rejects. By the way, recruiting at Stanford isn't very difficult at all. The academics there are very good. A better test would be to assemble a National Championship contending team at West Virginia. Oh Wait! Rich Rod did that didn't he? Oh yeah... That's a "Michigan man" right there. Bo sure would agree with that, especially considering he was at Ohio State prior to Michigan.

Blueman Rick

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1 a.m.

Dwayne: You're incorrect and completely missed my point. I never suggested Tate should start over D Rob. I was alluding to a fact that 2sweetblue picked up on, i.e., why sacrifice a redshirt frosh year? Will Dev be better than Tate or D Rob? Who knows? The simple fact is, that if D Rob continues his brilliant ascent, D Rob will indeed be the starting QB through his senior year at U of M. That marginalizes Dev's chance to develop as a QB at Michigan. One can deduce that he will not start until his senior year and may transfer. Thus, and pay attention, RR's decision appears short sighted, doesn't it? This isn't a point that was gleaned by "watching the game from their living room". It's simple deduction my friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. I do wish you luck in the further development of your skills of deduction.

Mark

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:56 a.m.

I'm still shakin my head at this offense as an old timer M fan, but I guess it's time to get used to it. This team looks ready to step things up.

3 And Out

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:47 a.m.

One man show....lol

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:45 a.m.

"God bless D Rob for playing out of his mind...you cant coach that kind of talent." ~3 and out You are probably the most ignorant person on the planet. If that kind of talent can't be coached, then where was it ALL LAST YEAR?! Was Denard just pretending to not understand the offense? Was he just pretending to not know how to read defenses? How can you be such a Rich Rod hater that you can't give him credit where credit is due? How can you look at the 2007 Mountaineers team and not think they were one of the best, if not the best, teams in the country? We are talking about THE MOUNTAINEERS! Rich Rod hasn't proven himself? Do you think he took a stupid pill the day he went to Michigan? I'm trying to find justifications for your ignorance but they just don't exist. Did he struggle trying to run an option/spread offense with Steven Threat (pocket QB)? YES! Did he struggle trying to play with talented true freshman? YES! Does that make him a bad coach? It makes him HUMAN. What do you expect? I would like to see ANYONE coach Nick Sheridan to play well at the collegiate level. He wasn't even good in high school! I know... I went to school there. Honestly... you are the most close-minded fool I have ever seen.

truebluefan

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:42 a.m.

How did Brian Kelly's team look when he ran a true freshman QB out there? Pretty pathetic. So much for Kelly being a better coach than RR. Heck, at least those guys have 3 and 4-star ratings from Rivals. Imagine how bad ND would've been if they played Nick Sheridan. Enough said.

Dwayne

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:36 a.m.

"Michigan went into there house, survived every momentum swing and won" quoting myself here, just to correct 'their' house. Wouldn't normally do that, but I know that some of the anti-RR crowd can sometimes be a little....well, let's just say that they'll take the opportunity to look down 'their' nose, when it's given to them. 3andout, why don't you just say that the boat will sink with Indiana, then when it doesn't, you can come up with whatever excuse you need at that time. Mick52, agreed. Hopefully, over the next couple of games we can get a little healthier and get a few more players involved, offensively and defensively and add playing experience. These 4 - 8, 5 - 7 seasons that the haters were planning on, depended on losses to UConn and ND. Expect some backpedaling, the conversation is already starting to shift to, "Well, he can't win in the Big 10".

Kubrick66

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:33 a.m.

3 And Out... With each post you dig yourself a deeper hole.

Mick52

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:23 a.m.

Kubrick touched on something I think is overlooked. DRob is sensational but some credit should go to the receivers who are doing a great job of making the catches. Sure many are short, but I think short 10-15 yard passes are statistically better and result in first downs. So Ho Rah to the receivers. Hard to understand why anyone thinks this team will win only 5 or 6 games. Another big improvement - so far - is lack of turnovers, which if you recall, cost Michigan three games last year. It's likely that Michigan could go 9-3. The defense will improve. It looks better than last year. Might go 6-0 before having a tough game. I am happy but some concerns over defense since defense wins ball games.

3 And Out

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:20 a.m.

A funny and appropo cartoon would be Rich Rod and Denard sitting in a sinking rowboat on the ocean and Rich Rod with a bull horn shouting "stroke stroke" while Denard scoops water out of the rowboat and back in to the water.

3 And Out

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:17 a.m.

Stanford crushing UCLA soon to be 35-0... defense... strong running game...structure...wow JH has it going on there at a very difficult school to recruit for. How long can D Rob, who is playing Heisman calibur football bail out Rich Rodriguez? Will it end vs. Indiana or deeper in the BT schedule?

theeerg

Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 12:04 a.m.

Chuck Norris wears Denard Robinson pajamas.

Dwayne

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 11:27 p.m.

Clifford, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. The guy also threw the ball for 244 yards and a TD. He completed more passes than ND (all of their QBs) did. I don't understand "lone ranger" and I definitely don't get "does not have a clue what Michigan is all about". What is it that RR doesn't get exactly? I know he doesn't have the Miami of Ohio or OSU resume that you guys like, but give the guy a break. Geeesh.

Robbie Webb.

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 11:22 p.m.

Don't worry, Dwayne, 2sweetblue will have to learn just like 3 and IN and Lemansblue (Who still hasn't commented yet...wonder why?). We all know how Michigan started last year. But our first two games this year were MUCH tougher than last year and we'er not playing a team like Deleware State this year. Umass and Bowling Green are good for their conference. But we shouldn't have trouble getting past them. Indiana should be a win, but I wouldn't take them lightly.

Dwayne

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 11:12 p.m.

Maybe Brian Kelly could have done a better job with Steven Threet or Nick Sheridan, right? We have players out for injury, too. Michigan went into there house, survived every momentum swing and won. You can't take that away from them. I don't care how many more games you say they'll lose or whether or not you think RR can win in the Big Ten. They won, impressively! We'll find out just how well they play in the big ten soon enough.

2sweetblue

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:56 p.m.

Beat Notre Dame.... Without BK players and their Starting QB was out half the game..... Pay attention we have RR players and we are still very very suspect...... By the way wayne I never said Tate should start i think He has handled the second and third string very poorly. Devin is Gone!!!

Robbie Webb.

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:50 p.m.

2 sweet blue, you need to pay attention, too. Yes, we still have work to do, but, Uconn isn't WMU and we beat Notre Dame at Notre Dame, enough said. Like I have said numerous times, offense was NEVER the issue. Defensive backfield has some work to do. We'll get better, but we held off Notre Dame's offense for the first half and made some nice stops. Woolfolk out really hurts, but I think they were solid at best. No, seven is not good enough, I think eight wins is what we should win AT LEAST. I'm not jumping up and down yet. MSU, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, and OSU are leaps and bounds better than Uconn and Notre Dame, but I just hope we keep our composure and keep getting better and keep learning. GO BLUE!!!

clifford geno

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:48 p.m.

Well maybe everyones right, and I just don't get it. So enjoy your West Virginia team, and I'll enjoy my memories. Lest you all forget, with the old traditional teams of times gone by, we were the teams with the best winning percentage in the NCAA. I don't think that a lone ranger Quarter Back, and a head coach, that does not have a clue what Michigan is all about, will ever enjoy that status.

Dwayne

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:46 p.m.

2bitter and blueman, two weeks ago, you guys were using all of that inside knowledge to suggest that Tate should start over D-Rob. Yeah, you know more about talent and QB ability in RR's offense than he does. Here's question, what if Devin is just that much better than Tate? What if RR feels like Devin would be a better option (if D-Rob went down), even with less experience, because he is so much better athletically? It amazes me how much smarter someone that is watching the game from their living room can be, than the coach who created the system and manages the practices and the games.

2sweetblue

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:41 p.m.

wayne...... Has he won in the Big Ten? Exactly he is burning out drob and listen to my drum its playing M E D I O C R E!!! Same flavor of kool aid last year 4-0

jameslucas

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:26 p.m.

A2D2, you got that right I was thinking the same thing.

2sweetblue

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:26 p.m.

Blueman I hear ya!!! It was STUPID to play Devin last week. Not only is Tate More experienced. There is NO WAY Devin will want to play back up for three years. When Drob graduates Devin will have one year left. Devin is going to leave also he wants to play. Another great decision by our King.....

Dwayne

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:22 p.m.

2bitter, you'll sing that tune until RR proves you wrong and then you'll turn to something else. "so you will be happy with 7 or 8 wins at most year after year?" This one actually made me laugh. What were we ranked coming into the season that we lost to App State, at home? I think that it was pretty high. Please don't act like we were some kind of college football dynasty under Lloyd and somehow ended up with RR. RR is just starting to get this program going in the direction that he wants and we are already starting to see how exciting that can be, with a VERY young team. There's still improvement to be made and all of us 'KoolAid' drinkers have acknowledged that, but this constant drone of he can't win here, he won't win there, it's getting so old.

Blueman Rick

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:16 p.m.

Time to wonder what's going to develop in the next week or so w/ Forcier. I expect he'll transfer. Today D Rob goes down. Cameras show Tate warming up w/ helmet on and then Gardner takes the field. That said it all. Very, very bad vibe. RR is not going to play him period and thus, is taking a mighty big gamble. Don't understand the logic at all. God forbid that D Rob gets hurt. If he does, we are in for a heap of trouble. Why give up on Tate and give away Gardner's red shirt frosh status? Anybody have an answer?

3 And Out

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:16 p.m.

This is still a 5 or 6 win team at best. God bless D Rob for playing out of his mind...you cant coach that kind of talent. Other than that this team has major issues. Tony Gibson the secondary coach cant coach his safeties to play cover 2 and thats been an issue for 3 years.... this team will get roasted in the BT unless somehow D Rob can keep playing at this incredibly high level. If he goes down they may not win at all in the BT.

Dwayne

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:12 p.m.

@John, What are you talking about?! Did you actually watch the game? Denard threw the ball 40 times for 244 yards and a TD. On the last drive, with under four minutes remaining in the game and down by three, he completed passes of 16, 7, 12, 5 and 15 yards, perfectly mixing in the run. He finished that drive passing 5/6 for 55 yards, and rushing for 34 and finishing with the 2 yard TD, leaving just 27 seconds on the clock. BTW - His down field throwing ability is not an issue either. Roundtree missed a catch in the endzone that was an outstanding pass. Granted, it would've been an amazing catch to hang on to it, but D-Rob put that pass right where it had to be.

jameslucas

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:11 p.m.

That was the best single effort I have seen in my 44years as Michigan Fan!

2sweetblue

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:09 p.m.

Robbie so you will be happy with 7 or 8 wins at most year after year??? Michigan is an average football team. Drob may be sweet but their defense is still suspect and special teams are horrible. Without Drob we are 1-1 maybe 0-2.... It's a joke Drob won't last in Big Ten play carying the ball 20 to 30 times a game. RichRob has yet to prove he can win in the Big Ten. THAT's a fact!!

RudeJude

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:06 p.m.

What a nail biter of a game! Taking it for what it is, a victory over the rival I hate the most in their own house. When Michigan is still undefeated after the Iowa game or so, then I'll believe that they are "back." Until I see how they handle the Big Ten, especially after ND's second half defense presented a blueprint on how to stop D-Rob, I'll keep my giddiness to a minimum. I hope D-Rob doesn't have to shatter records every game to win by four. But, just like last year, regardless of how the remaining games play out, it's nice to have a last second win over ND to cherish for the rest of the season. Go blue!

A2D2

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:59 p.m.

Here's the balance of the season - take it to the bank: UMass - we win BGSU - we win Indiana - we win MSU - we win Illinois - we win Penn St. - we probably win Iowa - we might not win Wisconsin - we might not win Ohio St. - we probably won't win. final record 9-3 and a trip to the Capital One Bowl to beat LSU. (but hey, all this optimism is only a DRob injury away from 6-6 and a trip to the Motor City Bowl to face Temple)

Robbie Webb.

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:54 p.m.

Exactly, Kubrick66! And I have yet to see Lemansblue comment, as well. I tried to tell him during the off-season Rodriguez isn't going anywhere. I hope everyone stays healthy and those who are injured (e.g. Hemingway and Carvin Johnson) return quickly (I miss Woolfolk). The secondary has alot of work to do before we start big ten play, We're getting better each game. Let's keep it up. I'm not jumping up and down just yet. Guys like 3 and out and Lemansblue need to pay attention and learn to listen. GO BLUE!!!

John

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:51 p.m.

Denard is an amazing athlete, but it seems at some point in the big ten or with a minute or so in a final drive, not being able to throw passes more than 10 - 15 yrds consistently is going to cost some wins, but on the other side they will probably gains some wins they wouldnt otherwise get, but can ever see a championship with out throwing and running

Kubrick66

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:48 p.m.

3 And Out... "Singlehandly?" Does DR catch his own passes? Does he do his own blocking? Did he shut down the ND offense for most of the first half... then again from late 3rd QT to late 4th QT? He will "carry" the team until he doesn't. If he gets hurt someone else will step in and succeed in a different way with the help of a great offensive line. The truth is that it just kills you to think that RR just might get it done and remain the head coach at Michigan.

Robbie Webb.

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:44 p.m.

Hey, 3 and Out, what's your excuse for this game? Crist not being in for the whole time? Notre Dame not being a ranked team? Michigan getting ''Lucky''? All of the above? I thought Notre Dame was a better coached team? I thought you were 100% sure that we were losing this weekend like you said we would against Uconn as well. I would start listening to what I have to say, I have yet to be proven wrong, and now it's starting to show. What do you mean, ''How long can Robinson carry the team''? What's wrong with having a leader? Michigan played their hearts out and beat Notre Dame AT Notre Dame, just in case you didn't know we have a bad history playing at Notre Dame. Let's get ready for Mass now! GO BLUE!!!

Blueman Rick

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:36 p.m.

It was a great Michigan win. On the minus side: The secondary is frightening. RR's (or Magee's) play calling when M was barely hanging on to the lead in the 4th was puzzling indeed. D is fabulous but let's hope we develop more facets to the offense. A one dimension O will not carry us through the season.

3 And Out

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:33 p.m.

How long can D Rob singlehandly carry this team and Rich Rodriguez?

2sweetblue

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:26 p.m.

Wow people......... Are you guys seeing the same thing I am? Michigan is average at best after halftime. Drob has been impressive but come on we did not score all second half and most people thought we were done. For anybody to say we are back is completely blinded by the blue goggles. People are going to shut down Drob then we will be screwed. Notre Dame would have killed us if their starting QB played he led them to a TD in 1st quarter and led them to 17 second half points to Michigans 7. Wake up people don't get to excited because last year 4-0 start everyone said we were back. Now maybe we will start 5-0 and finish 6-6. YEEAAAAAAH improvement GOING TO THE PIZZA PIZZA BOWL........ Then Richie will get a life time contract!!!!

Dwayne

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:06 p.m.

Whatever, Edwardo. You work it out however you need to work it out. Rich is our coach and he isn't going anywhere, despite all of your despising. Clifford, do you still watch the games in black &amp; white and get up and turn the dial, when you want to change the channel? Probably not. Probably looking at a nice 1080p flat panel with a universal remote. So you see, things change and for the better. In all of your watching days, when is the last time a QB rushed for 250+ yards and two TDs, while adding 244 passing and a TD, at ND? Mitch, agree 100 percent. Here are a few comments from our beloved RR haters from last week: OSUbeBetter: ND 11 U-Mich 8. Forcier, Transfer 15crown00: If D ROB makes it to the meat of the schedule we'll see how he plays.bet he doesn't run 20x against ND and he won't complete 19/22 either Here are a few gems from my favorite RR hater, 3andout: Michael Floyd will score 3TD at home next week and we will need to outscore them. btw.... 5-7 still... We lose to ND next week, Kelly is far superior to RR and will have his team ready at home... we will be looking for a new head coach in December. Playground football / September Offense. Relying on one guy to carry it. What happens when he goes down? What do you RR slappies get for joining the RR fan club? a junior G Man badge? A Hold The Rope decoder ring? A Body By Barwis workout DVD? more like terrible football and NCAA sanctions....we will lose to ND this weekend...enough already one game proved nothing. I loved 3andout's last quote. What happened when Crist went out of the game? ND could do nothing. What happens when almost any starting QB goes down? There is going to be a drop off in ability or experience. This is not something that applies only to RR. And I'm sure that two games proves nothing, either. There will always be an excuse for these folks why we shouldn't have won or we still shouldn't be happy about it. They'll always find a reason to support their dislike for RR. Here's a great quote from MichBoy40, not quite a prediction, but right on the mark: I hope D Rob lights up the domers for 500 yards and 6 TD's! Very close, MichBoy40! 502 yards and 3 TDs!! Lastly, Macabre and Bornin2A...I'm not sure what other message boards you are trolling, but I can say for sure that I have seen more declarations of the demise of the program here, than I have a bowl birth or National Championship contention. The only posts that I am seeing here are celebratory for a road win against one of our bigger rivals. Of course, that is followed by all of your nonsense posts about getting lucky and if this or that wouldn't have happened, etc. So give it a rest. You don't have to be drinking Wolverine kool-aid to appreciate an historic performance, on the road by an incredible talent.

Kubrick66

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 9:01 p.m.

OSUbeBette... If you can't see the difference between this year and last... it's not worth the time to explain it to you.

OSUbeBetter

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:54 p.m.

@ThoseWhoStayUofM All im saying is this year is starting EXACTLY the same way last year started. You can draw upon your own conclusions, but all im saying is that its like DeJaVu. Michigan wins the home opener easy, then Ekes out a win against a very bad Notre dame team and Rodriguez, the current Qb, and the Spread are all the talk of the town. Im just saying it all sounds real familiar, thats it.

wolverinefan

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:45 p.m.

I keep reading about how this team doesn't play like the Michigan of old. The Michigan "of old," under Bo and Lloyd, relied on a strong running game. Rick Leach attempted just 158 passes his ENTIRE senior season. While the scheme is different, Michigan is relying on a strong run game to wear down its opponents. And look at the stats; Denard threw 40 times for 240+ yards to go along with his rushing. How can folks complain about the results? Yes, the defense is a work in progress, but to be upset about how Michigan, under RR, plays offense is silly.

KAO

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:38 p.m.

Clifford: The Michigan you grew up was heading downhill. As as much as I have great memories of Michigan Football thru the years...the game of college football was passing it by. Its a new era and Michigan is going to be part of it!

BornInA2

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:37 p.m.

"Should Michigan fans be concerned by the apparent correlation to last years record? Of course not." Agreed. Neither should we be tooting the same horns we did last year after two wins and declaring "We're back". There was a lot of slopping play in this game, on both sides of the ball. Ours was overshadowed by one player.

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:31 p.m.

"Goodness, this year is starting EXACTLY the same way last year started" ~OSUBeBetter Drawing from last year, in order to arrive at conclusions about this year, is futile and completely irrational. I will tell you why. Simply saying that Michigan is starting the season with the same record as last year cannot be indicative of the outcome of this year because anything BUT going undefeated in the non-conference games would be a step backwards. Think about it. Would you feel more content had Michigan lost to Notre Dame? Would you say, "Gee... even though they lost this game, I can take comfort in the fact that they are deviating from the trend that was set last year"? Of course not. That would be irrational. Should Michigan fans get their hopes up for a national championship birth this year? Of course not. Should Michigan fans be concerned by the apparent correlation to last years record? Of course not.

clifford geno

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:20 p.m.

Michigan will never be the the Team that I grew up with, and learned to love. They are taking their playing style in a direction that I know will hurt them in the long run. Maybe I am the only one who sees it this way.

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:19 p.m.

"Sad that the U of M has allowed Florida State/University of Miami/University of Florida/USC/OU ethical standards to become a part of our program" ~Edward R Murrow's Ghost How absolutely absurd! Just like the typical irrational Michigan mindset to think that you are better than everyone else. You are so far gone that you think you are better than the University you represent. That's absurd in and of itself. Miami, Florida, USC, and OU all broke rules due to corruption and all tried to cover it up from the top down. Michigan, on the other hand, accidentally broke a rule (due to inattention and lack of communication), self-imposed a punishment, and has been completely transparent throughout the entire process. How could any rational human-being truthfully believe that Michigan has lost a sense of ethical standards? A rational human-being couldn't, just YOU! Swallow your unjustified pride and try seeing the world from an objective vantage point, void of personal bias. The University of Michigan is one of the most ethical universities in country, and everyone with a brain knows that.

TrueBlueinOH

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:06 p.m.

That's my boys!! Way to go Michigan Men!!

OSUbeBetter

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 8:03 p.m.

Goodness, this year is starting EXACTLY the same way last year started. Heres a funny article from this time last year. The comments are even funnier. http://www.annarbor.com/sports/tate-forcier-may-be-a-freshman-but-he-acts-and-plays-nothing-like-it/ ".....Two games in, Forcier seems headed down that path. Teammates are stunned how he plays, how he acts, how not much fazes him....." ".....Tates a unique individual, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. Some guys, when everythings going crazy around them, you can see them change their personality and Tates just the opposite......"

ThoseWhoStayUofM

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:58 p.m.

Notre Dame is better than UConn. I think it is pretty evident by the play on the field that this is true. Michigan came out of the gates and DOMINATED in the first half, taking an early 21 - 7 lead... and Notre Dame had NO answer for Denard Robinson. Then, per usual, Michigan got complacent in the second half. Notre Dame made defensive adjustments and Michigan disregarded this fact and stuck with plan A. Notre Dame mounted a comeback but just didn't have enough time to see it to fruition. Had this game gone into overtime, Michigan probably would have lost. Does this mean Michigan is being hyped too much? Maybe. Does it mean Michigan doesn't deserve a top 25 status? Maybe. However, we can't simply ignore the fact that Notre Dame is LOADED with talent, in South Bend, and has a hunger to beat Michigan more than just about anyone in lieu of their heartbreaking defeat in Ann Arbor a year ago. Michigan weathered the storm and that is commendable... by any standard. To try to pass this win off as a meaningless, non-conference win is an absurd notion. When Notre Dame goes to Lansing and plays well against Sparty, you will see just how absurd your double standard against Michigan really is.

BornInA2

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:58 p.m.

Fun game to watch. I'm glad for the W. Our secondary stinks and I don't see how that or our place kicking is going to improve much. ND played inferior QBs for half the game and save for an inexplicable last-minute realization by RR/Magee that the game DOES allow downfield passes, ND would have won. Reading through the Kool-aider posts, I was wondering if I'd been transported back a year when we'd won a whole two straight games, beat ND with some last-minute good fortune, and "Tater" et-al declared us national title contenders. Denard is a one-man wrecking crew so far but it's going to be a very different game if/when he goes down. And adding to the deja vu is RR's description of him as "banged up" after game two. The same thing happened to Forcier last year. Fun game to watch. NO TURNOVERS. Glad to get the W. Go Blue.

vi4mi4

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:53 p.m.

.Yeeeaaahhh!!! TEAM Win... Hail To The Victors! Go Blue! v

dell

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:52 p.m.

Lost Puppy. hahaha. He lost more than that... encouraging for ND... what game was he watching!

SillyTree

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:50 p.m.

Make fun of Forcier all you want. He beat Notre Dame last year. Robinson beat them this year. You can't rely on a QB to do all the work. RR is still in trouble. U of M won their first four games last year. RR likes to have a scapegoat and he hurt that poor kid a lot. RR does not match the manhood of a couple of sophomores.

OKBlue

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:50 p.m.

Lou Holtz looks like he lost his puppy

breadman

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:44 p.m.

Do not get your hopes up in the air too soon!!!! Still alot more games out there to play.......... Starting off like last year, Then took a nose dive..,

azwolverine

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:40 p.m.

A couple of thoughts from the game...I was impressed and surprised that ND was able to hang around with backup QB's in the game for most of the first half when going in I didn't think they'd be able to hang around even WITH Crist in the whole game. Kelley's going to have ND back quickly and my prognosticating ability slipped slightly this week. More importantly, though, Denard Robinson is an absolute beast. With the game on the line and Michigan needing a score on the road, he put the team on his back and carried them to the victory. That was extremely impressive and it's a given at this point that UM will be off to a 4-0 start (again) heading into B10 play.

RudeJude

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:37 p.m.

What a nail biter of a game! Taking it for what it is, a victory over the rival I hate the most in their own house. When Michigan is still undefeated after the Iowa game or so, then I'll believe that they are "back." Until I see how they handle the Big Ten, especially after ND's second half defense presented a blueprint on how to stop D-Rob, I'll keep my giddiness to a minimum. I hope D-Rob doesn't have to shatter records every game to win by four. But, just like last year, regardless of how the remaining games play out, it's nice to have a last second win over ND to cherish for the rest of the season. Go blue!

mookienation

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:35 p.m.

"I still don't see this team competing in the Big Ten, but I see steady progress. I'm willing to increase my projection from 4-8 to 6-6, which is saying a lot." I'm not going to say that it would be impossible for Michigan to lose six games this year, but come on. Barring injuries, it's unreasonable to think they will lose six games. Which six teams are going to beat them? If they win the next two games, then beat Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue, they've got a 7-5 record. And from what I've seen so far, there's no reason Michigan can't come up with at least a win or two against the "ranked" Big Ten teams. And I didn't even mention Michigan State in Ann Arbor -- a very winnable game. Really, I think Michigan will have an advantage over all of their opponents except for Penn State and Ohio State. Yes, Wisconsin and Iowa will be tough, but playing at the Big House won't be easy for either of those teams. A lot can change during a season -- as we saw last year -- but at this point, I see Michigan finishing the season at 9-3 with losses to Penn State, Ohio State, and a wildcard team somewhere in there. Although, with a quarterback as explosive as Denard Robinson, they're capable of beating anyone if they play their cards right.

a2miguy

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:12 p.m.

@glifford geno What the heck is wrong with you??? I am almost old enough to be called an "old-timer" and if Michigan plays like this until the day I die, I will die happy. On another note, we were not so good on 3rd down offense today. If we convert some of those, this game is a BLOW OUT. GO BLUE!!!!!!!

TrueBlueinOH

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:04 p.m.

That's my boys!! Way to go Michigan Men!!

sam

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:03 p.m.

what a game michigan is back

clifford geno

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7:02 p.m.

I guess us old timers will have to get used to the new way Michigan plays football, like it or not.

jameslucas

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 7 p.m.

Can we teach Shoelace's to kick feild goals?

BuckFanHater

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:56 p.m.

Now all of the ND fans and the Trolls that come through this site will start posting a bunch of garbage and making excuses for the ND loss. They will say things like "But we lost our starting QB for most of the first half"...Blah Blah Blah...Hmmm, that's why you have a capable back-up QB ready to go just in case. We need a good back-up ready to go as well. It's part of the game. I will say that the penalties that we had this week completly stopped promising drives in the second half. We had two penalties that killed us. One was a holding penalty that killed a good drive and then the terrible call against Kelvin Grady for the bad block which I still feel that he whiffed on anyhow and that personal foul killed another good drive. And can we please get a KICKER on this team for Heavens Sake. We need someone who can kick it through the darn goal posts. That is going to kill us late in the season in Big Ten play and especially against the Suckeyes!!! I see us losing by a late missed field goal on Novevemer 27th...which by the way just happens to be my B-day so a win by RR and my beloved Wolverines would certainly be a nice gift.

PortageLkBlu

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:49 p.m.

Well now boys and girls, not to shabby huh? My Mich.flag was flying high over the desert, the barbecu tasted great, I saw some improvement, Denard looks healthy with nice backups ready to play if needed and that comeback was pure character builder. That game was great entertainment right to the end not to mention that the kid, (Tate) that beat Notre Dame last year was warming the bench and is healthy. As more and more fans are getting on the bandwagon behind RR it can only help the team which is what true Mich. fans are all about, the team, the team, the team.

Macabre Sunset

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:49 p.m.

It's a win, and that's good. I believe Notre Dame is a far better team than Connecticut. Denard managed the game very well. He showed poise on the final drive. The offense sputtered in the second half as Notre Dame adjusted, realizing the one thing Denard can't always do is throw those 10-15 yarders over the middle - that's where being short limits you. But he set records and that was exciting. The injury to Crist was game-changing. I don't think we pull that out otherwise. Anyhow. Another A+ for the sophomore quarterback. His accuracy suffered a little, but the competition was better, the pass protection not as solid. I hope he can stay healthy and keep it up. The coach is already calling him "banged up." The running backs weren't needed all that much. It's just not an offense that needs a Michael Shaw-style runner. I'm looking forward to Fitzgerald Toussaint's return. Roy Roundtree had an incredible game, especially considering how banged up he was. The offensive line gets mixed reviews. At times, they dominated. But Notre Dame was able to keep the pressure on, especially in the second half when they tried locking up the quarterback draw. The defense was not very good against Crist. They couldn't maintain any kind of pressure. Martin was double-teamed a lot, Van Bergen disappeared almost entirely. Mouton made some big plays, but also whiffed a few times. Ezeh as well, with fewer big plays. The secondary was miserable. Kovacs was OK for what he does, but was not all that present in coverage. The young corners made a lot of mistakes. The young safety Cam Gordon played like a redshirt freshman and gave up several plays, including the 95-yarder that nearly lost the game. This is a serious concern moving forward. Greg Robinson clearly believes he cannot commit enough people to the pass rush to generate consistent pressure. But even with eight back, there are huge holes in the secondary. Crist showed what can be done in just two-plus quarters. The special teams weren't special. It's likely Brendan Gibbons has lost his kicking job. The freshman punter was inconsistent. Gallon made a couple of bad decisions receiving punts. No turnovers! That means wins when the opponent is just a little bit better than you. Overall, I'm really pleased with this win. Notre Dame has some great athletes and the Wolverines hung tough and pulled it out with a terrific drive at the end. I still don't see this team competing in the Big Ten, but I see steady progress. I'm willing to increase my projection from 4-8 to 6-6, which is saying a lot.

Kubrick66

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:48 p.m.

Throw out all the stats. Don't sweat the secondary, all the holding penalties, the crappy play calling in the red zone- Rich Rods bonehead choices, and of course a kicker that just plain stinks... Throw all that out the window because none-of-it-matters... A win in South Bend, no matter how we got there is always PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!

musthaved

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:46 p.m.

After 2 games, we have 1 Robinson who is the favorite for the Heisman and another Robinson who should be escorted to the unemployment line. Instead of a 3 man rush with 8 guys running around helter skelter, why don't you put all 11 in coverage? If Christ hadn't been hurt, the outcome would have been much different. Since he was hurt and the other two QB's couldn't move the team, why didn't we go for it on 4th down at the 50 about 3 different times in the first half? This game should have been a blowout with Christ on the bench in the 1st half, then Greg the incompetent did his best to lose it in the 2nd half. How do you let a tight end get behind you with less than 4 minutes in the game and ND on the 5 yard line? Rush 3 men.

dell

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:45 p.m.

You have a All State kicker on your roster and he's watching from the sideline! Even Pete C wrote about him in his prep review this week.

orlandomichfan

Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 6:39 p.m.

that's what im talking about..way to whip the Irish....WHERE ARE THE DOOMERS????? GO BLUE..GREAT GREAT WIN!!!!! looks like we might be looking at a 5-0 start...woo hooo